McCain's Problem: Not Age, but Condition

Barack Obama versus John McCain. One of the first things that supporters of Obama ought to realize is that attacking, belittling or characterizing John McCain by emphasizing his age is a mistake. It is a mistake that may backfire and cost them a lot of votes with seniors in this country.

I don't know about you, but everywhere I look in our society, people over sixty-five are making profound contributions to their chosen fields. Architecture, writing, journalism, painting, education, corporate leadership, law, medicine. You name it. With the exception of actually performing in fields such as sports or ballet, for example, men and women that are John McCain's age are not only contributing, they are at the top of their game.

The problem with John McCain is not his age, it's his condition. McCain's true lack of the abundant energy required to function as president, even performing the job on the most basic level, is what must be questioned. Perhaps McCain could have served in the 1950s, back in a time when the job was significantly less complicated than it is today. However, the world has grown far more dangerous and complicated in the last decade. (I know this because the Bush administration has worked incredibly hard for eight years to convince me of this.) The world today requires that we have a president who has the mental and physical capability and stamina to face issues such as terrorism, global warming and the energy crisis we are currently steeped in, not to mention the link between all three.

John McCain had a relatively brief and less taxing battle for his party's nomination than Barack Obama did. He has had time to rest up. Get mentally fit. Study his notes and come out swinging once he had a clear target. And what have we witnessed thus far? What kind of shape will John McCain be in come September or October, after weeks of stress and pounding from his adversary, who seems right now to be indefatigable?

McCain's ideas are too old, not the Senator himself. McCain's view of this country, his view of the world, are too old. There may be a seventy-two year old Republican Senator/ war hero who has most or all of what it takes to lead this country out of these difficult times. John McCain is not that man.

Comments

[gevan]

Reagan used to chop wood and ride horses. G.H.W.Bush used to drive a boat. Clinton and Dubya jog and the current President rides a bicyle and clears brush on his "ranch" as well. Have we ever seen John McCain(t) participating in any physical activity? Not golf? Anything at all?

[Belisarius]

Interesting observation. Now that I think about it, I haven't seen JMac having fun, relax, or do anything but stand stiffly and talk in a near whisper about politics. And where are his children?

[gage]

Info on McCain children:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/27/us/politics/27mccainkids.html?_r=1&oref=login

http://www.johnmccain.com/about/mccainchildren.htm

[gage]

He likes to fly fish, but he can't do things like golf, because he can't raise his arms high enough. That's what happens when serious injuries go untreated in a POW prison.

[Rachel36]

He lifts grilling implements at his bbqs.

[Exit]

McCain is too freaking old. No way around it.

[PioneerKing]

Obama supporters do not attack McCain because of his age they attack McCain because he is addlepated and has always been so, as evidenced by bottom of the class ranking in his High School and McCain's dismal ranking in the Naval Academy.
However, McCain has and does make negative comments about Sen. Obama's age and years of experience in Washington.

[iamapersons]

It would probably be best not to go too far in attacking/judging McCain based on his class rank at the Naval Academy. One: grades are much more complicated at the Academies than at civilian schools; your total ranking is based on your academic grades, military grades, and your grades in physical education classes (the military grade is affected by demerits for: dress, tardiness, etc.). Two: Robert E. Lee ranked second in his class at West Point, whereas Grant had a dismal ranking and Custer graduated last in his class.

[todayslies]

"Perhaps McCain could have served in the 1950s, back in a time when the job was significantly less complicated than it is today. "

RIght: the Korean War, McCarthy hearings, the Cold War , Vietnam descending, the Third World going nationalistic--pretty "uncomplicated" times.

[billw8017]

As one ages, the past develops a mellow patina. Once upon a time, perhaps in the McCarthy era, we had a broad bipartizan concensus and polite civility. Once upon a time, politicians didn't try to frighten voters as with Lyndon Johnson's daisy commercial or JFK's "missile crisis." Who today remembers Nixon trying to intimidate Congress during the impeachment hearings by ordering the strategic air command to send our bombers to the Russian borders? Or Eisenhower's Attorney General declaring he meant to check out the secret papers from the Yalta and Potsdam meetings of the WWII allies and establish how Roosevelt and Truman had sold out in Stalin in their "twenty years of treason."

Yeah, how about the sweet reason practiced by Newt Gingrich? Of course, Ronald Reagan did establish that a President could sleep through an NSC meeting.

[JSkinner]

That is exactly the point. You couldn't spring anything on my mother even as she hit her 80"s, her mind was sharp. But Senator McBush really isn't sharp at all. Just to watch him speaking, answering questions, really anything that would be considered off the top of ones head he just doesn't do it well at all. The world isn't anything like the world poor john is in and that is scary on a lot of different levels.
McBush really has never had to use his brain, privileged heritage, from Annapolis, to a not really well versed pilot, after being a lobbyist for the Navy and taken under the wings of well place Senators, John has never had to succeed on his own. And that everyone is why John is not sharp enough...whereas my Mom was.

[Okieborn]

I don't think Mccains age is a problrm., I know it is his health and mental state !!
Mccain was a prisoner of war but so were thousands just like him !!
All who serve in the armed service are heroes !!!
I am not trying to de-mean Mccain but he truly looks bad real bad, I just hope he doesn't fall and hurt himself !!!

[Larry Buchite]

I served in the Army 1966/1969 I conciderd that as my duty. A hero is those that througha selfless act put their life at risk to save others. I do not concider mysel a hero but thank you for your king words.

[BigFootJesus]

If you ever served in the military you would know that not all who serve are heroes. The armed forces are a cross section of society minus the extremely rich of course.

[cassidynj]

Why has the news media been downplaying all of this? John McCain gets free pass after free pass.

There is clear media bias in favor of John McCain. Even the New York Times hid the "whiner" comments.

[billw8017]

Us people of strong opinions are offended by those who disagree with us. The media tries for a certain balance and lets the politicians set the agendas and arguments. I do agree that the major media by held by large corporations which will pursue their own interests when the rubber hits the road. They are actually pretty even handed right now: It's a matter of establishing credibility. In the final weeks before the November vote, we will see clearly who they support. Now, we get occasional showers. In October, we get the storm.

[SpaceCadet]

I'll admit to having made fun of McCain's ancientness in the past, but there are people much older than him whom I greatly admire, like Justice Stevens of the Supreme Court. The guy is in his 80's but he seems much younger than McCain. And there are many other seniors, famous and not so famous who seem not only wise, but full of life. I think it's mainly being chained to G.W. Bush, who's a decade younger than McCain, that's weighing him down like an anchor.

[Larry Buchite]

McCains age is not the problem I would question his judgement. He has problems keeping his insergents and terrorists strait that why he seems to have Joe Lieberman behind him.

McCain's biggest problem may be temperment will this affect his judgement when he must make a desision concerning war and peace. There are times when the country is threatend we must go to war does McCain have the temperment to make these choices.

[mike53]

BO may win. Bottom line is, hes not even close to being ready for it. Bush was not either, Cheney should have been president. So now you dems want your version of Bush in office. Rush Limbaugh could not be happier. His $50 million a year will be easy money.

[Larry Buchite]

The problem is that the only true experiance there is to be president is being president. Cheney's problem is not so much experience it is temperment.

I believe that BO may have the temperment to be presibent the it would depend on who his advisers are. I belive that most presidents have depended heavily on their adviserors to make their decisions.

Limbaugh in my opinion this is the poster child of a true chickenhawk chicken when it was his time to serve and now a hawk.

[mike53]

In a way you seem to agree with me. What I see of Obamas "temperment" so far is arrogance.

[EyeballKid]

Cheney? The man who refused to give the order to intercept Flight 77, as Norman Mineta, an eyewitness, clearly stated in two occasions?

Cheney? The man who cherry-picked the raw intelligence about Iraq and manufactured the "evidence" that Iraq was about to use WMD on the US???

Cheney? The man who, as a public servant, committed treason by ordering his underling to expose an undercover CIA agent and an entire CIA front organization?

And you cite Cheney's temperament as the reason that he shouldn't be president? How about CRIMINAL CONDUCT?

[superduperandy]

Wouldn't every dem just be delighted if Cheney were on the ticket this year. Talk about a straw man as an opponent - and i'm not talking about his bad health.

[elr50]

Cheney SHOULD have been president? You mean he wasn't? Coulda fooled me.

[Kwaayesnama]

We all know Hillary has those 18,000,000 supporters that LOVE her to death..
So please help her by showing your love...
This is my challenge to Clinton supporters...
If you like Hillary please send her $1 this month...
If you really loved her please send her $5...
If you really - really - really loved her send her $10...
And all of you McCain supporters that are thankful to the bitter Clinton supporters please send her $100, you could afford it much more then the poor uneducated, white, bitter Clinton followers...
By next month all eighteen plus million of you will pay off her debt and we will not have to listen to her begging anymore...
This will also be an indicator of how many people truly care about the Clintons...

[dora rice]

The Clintons are worth 120 Million and can absorb her 22 Millions. If she gets the money Bill will get half when they split up, and split up they will unless she get the VP job only then will Bill hang in there and that only maybe . so why give the money. Although I am glad to give her 5 bux because I am and always will be her supporter. Nothing has changed.

[randomx6]

You 12 year olds will cost the Dems the Presidency yet. Neener, neener, neener, is NOT a policy posiiton

[plafayette]

Alec, Spot on! As stated there are indeed many seniors who at age 70 and above are holding steady every day while actively working in demanding professions. What makes a McCain presidency really scary is that we are all still freshly and badly brusied by Pres. Bush. Eight years of watching Bush embarass himself and the country have taken their toll on all of us. Now, here is McCain, stumbling, mumbling, flipping and flopping. Collectively we cringe because we have seen this all before. We know that he will not bring peace or honor to our country. Whenever I hear him snickering after saying something that he thinks is funny, and the rest of us hears as grossly inappropriate- I just want to cry. Adding to my injury someone like Chuck Todd comes on TV talking about how close this presidential race is. I'm sorry I think that the entire election process is completely controlled /rigged by the republican party. I do not believe for one minute that McCain could possibly have this much support from Americans bleeding out from the effects of war,over taxation, gas& food prices, mortgage meltdown. stock losses, homelessness and unemployment. Am I whining much?

[confuseddemocrat]

Nope, you are just experiencing a mental recession

[Freesia2]

lol :-)

[Freesia2]

I just wanted to thank you for this article, Mr. Baldwin. It's a topic that people touch on but are often, understandably, afraid to really delve into. Which is a credit to American's basic decency, I think. But it is a consideration, because it is a voter's right, and in fact their responsibility, to really inspect the candidates.

The responses have been interesting to read as well. Because while you had some of the usual cafuffle and the always present PUMA/Limbaugh crowd who never bump a noun against a verb unless they can blow up the conversation, there were people whose opinion really gave credence.

Especially the people in McCain's age bracket. I've often wondered what they thought, but it's a little bit hard to walk up to someone in McCain's age range and ask. (I thought about asking my Dad but I didn't want to ruin Christmas. :-) ) In their hearts, for that matter everyone's heart, we're all 16. But many of them gave great bullseye responses and I was glad to read them. Tell you the truth, if they were running? I wouldn't even need to consider what year they were born. Sharp as tacks.

[tenilla]

I would have considered voting for the 2000 John McCain. There is obviously something very
wrong with him now. It makes me cringe to hear all the age jokes, because, as Alec Baldwin
says, 71 is not old. But McCain has had a hard life and he may well be in the very early stages
of senile dementia. I do not say this to be cruel, but because it has been embarrassing to observe
him continually making gaffes when he tries to speak about Iraq. It would be my educated
guess that he is coached and coached and coached to get the players and names right,
but hes imply is incapable of memorizing..

I predict that he will either get a lot of sympathy during the debates because he is so utterly
confused -- or that Obama will be too nice and let Joe Lieberman sit beside him and coach him.

[MoeSart]

Obama's non-qualification for the job is the one thing that dooms him in the end.

Voters will look at Obama, look at McCain, and vote for McCain because they're more comfortable with McCain being in charge.

McCain's age will be an asset compared to the immature, untested Obama. That's how the McCains will spin it and it will work. They're already doing it.

[dmclean]

If you think that strategy is working for McCain then you are drinking from the same fountain as Phil Gramm. It may be the way you hope it turns out but the reality is that as long as McCain is joined at the hip with Bush, the only way he can win is if Obama defeats himself. It's not about Obama's youth just like it's not about McCains age. America is ready for a President who has the depth of intellect to actually comprehend the serious issues we are all facing. Not someone who is bound by ideology of the past. This is precisely why I don't see Obama's evolving positions on some issues as a defect or liability. I think of that as the natural result of an intelligent person learning more about complex issues and realizing that he can have everything exactly the way he want them. I honor John McCains lifetime of service to America but his time has come and past.

[confuseddemocrat]

Amen

[Kwaayesnama]

Lets think about this?
Do you really think when push comes to shove the American people will vote for McBush?
McCain is the man who voted to send our bravest to die looking for weapons of mass destruction that did not exist.
McCain is the man who does not know that 9-11 was caused by Osama Bin Laden not Sedam Hussein.
McCain is the man who does not know if the Sunnis or Sheits are our enemies!
McCain is the man who put our government on the China, Saudi Arabia credit card.
McCain is the man has adopted virtually the entire Bush agenda, often reversing long held positions and compromising supposed core principles. From Iraq, tax cuts for the wealthy, broken promises on the deficit to opposition to SCHIP, tax credits for health care, overturning Roe v. Wade and a right-wing Supreme Court, without question John McCain represents a third Bush term.
Get real!
Our only hope is Obama.

[tcagle]

Heed the words of Mencken, Barnum, and Plato. We have a vast sea of ignorami about us. I promise, the next "Obama is the Anti-Christ" email I get, I will puke.

[Kwaayesnama]

Or maybe the intellect of John McCain will doom him in the end?
Phil Gramm is only repeating what John McCain has said publicly in the past.
John McCain says the economic downturn is psychological. Having on multiple occasions admitted his limited understanding of the economy, Senator McCain instead turned armchair psychologist to diagnose the U.S economic slowdown. In April, McCain told Fox News’ Neil Cavuto that a lot of our problems today, as you know, are psychological. Apparently, seven months of job losses, oil at $140 a barrel, record gas prices at the pump, 47 million uninsured and a devastating home foreclosure crisis are merely figments of Americans’ imaginations.

[thepoliticalcat]

I don't think so. As an older person, I am horrified at the thought of such an obvious incompetent having charge of a country that is in the throes of multiple disasters brought on by eight years of his fellow-incompetent.

I'm proud to say that for the first time in my life there is not a single person in my entire group of friends, colleagues, acquaintances, and neighbours (which includes many Republicans and independents) who is willing to vote for McCain. Maybe there's hope for the country.

[smags72]

Doubtful. Wait until after the debates when Obama crushes McCain.

[StephenJK]

Has Obama EVER crushed ANYONE in political debate? I think it would be a first for sure. He lost many of the debates with Clinton. A clear loser in many.

[moonwatcher]

McCain was a hero in the Vietnam War. That was then. This is now. Anyone who has to have Lieberman correct his mistakes is not my ideal candidate. It is not his age. it is his mental sharpness. I don't think most Americans want someone who needs a correction consultant running the government. I think it should be a issue. I'm sixty-five years old and all of us who are that age know some people have better mental sharpness than others. While Obama shouldn't say much, I think some of the 527s should show some of the mistakes he has made. The American people should be aware of this problem. Do we want to go through another four years of government by committee and a President who is out of it?

[confuseddemocrat]

I agree with you. Any potential candidate who shows such limited mental sharpness is not up to running the country. It is not age, I know eighty and ninety year olds who are sharper.

I have been watching McCain for months, he sure does seem to show signs that his mental acuity is diminishing. I watch his flat affect, his memory lapses, his inability to keep facts straight, slurred speech and his lack of knowlegde of his own voting record and it reminds me of signs of early senile dementia.

If it is not physiological issue, then his mannerisms is indicative of someone who is not really interested in nation and simply is going through the motion; and hence ,his lack of in depth knowlegde and sharpness is really a sign of intellectual laziness. Either way it is bad for our nation.